* * *
Fortunately, there was no misfortune of all D team members taking a chartered bus.
Arriving at the reserved pension with Minchan’s car, Hyunsoo was amazed by the expansive view.
“Did we rent all of this?”
“The team leader managed to squeeze out a lot for the vacation expenses.”
“How much did she get… No, never mind. Just don’t tell me.”
Hyunsoo shook his head. The reward vacation of two days negotiated by Team Leader Kim Soojung and an additional personal leave combined for a total of one week.
The main team and sub-team would meet for a 1-night, 2-day stay. The rest was personal vacation.
He heard that they had bragged about giving only two days of reward vacation.
Hyunsoo decided that after his compulsory service period, he would persuade the three others to escape from this awful center. It was the worst workplace with no sign of improvement.
“Wow. Look at this, Jaehee. A hot spring!”
Yoon excitedly dragged Hyunsoo along. Jiwon took care of the luggage. While the suitcases were being floated and moved, people secretly gathered in the party room and began preparations.
The reason Yoon dragged Hyunsoo around was that he could teleport.
If Hyunsoo happened to approach the party room, Yoon wanted to move him elsewhere.
“Then let’s decorate quickly.”
Soojung’s eyes sparkled.
* * *
After being dragged around by Yoon and finishing the pension tour, Hyunsoo collapsed onto a chair in the shade next to the soccer field.
He watched the team members running around the field, sweating profusely, and then glanced to the side.
‘A human lighter…’
Minchan was roasting round marshmallows on a skewer with flames emerging from his fingertips. He handed a perfectly roasted marshmallow to Hyunsoo with a smile.
“Here.”
Hyunsoo took the marshmallow with a grimace and looked at the various dirty plays happening on the soccer field.
“Yoon! Who teleports while playing soccer!”
Soojung, with his hair tied up, shouted.
“There was no rule against using powers, was there? In an era where powers are a specialty, how long will you keep competing honestly?”
“People without powers must be really frustrated!”
Soojung’s roar echoed across the field.
Kim Yoon, who teleported every time the soccer ball touched his feet, and Song Jiwon, who used telekinesis to flick away any ball that came near him, were eventually kicked out together.
“Ah, there’s no mercy. Team Leader, I didn’t expect you to be stuck in such outdated thinking.”
“Don’t you think the two of them were playing unfairly from the start?”
While Hyunsoo commented, Minchan was roasting marshmallows again.
The ones who had been kicked out joined in, and the three of them ate Minchan’s roasted marshmallows while the sub-team members from the soccer game flocked around them.
“If only Team Leader Jeong had joined, we could have won!”
Deputy Shin Jo-won grumbled in disappointment. Minchan, who was making s’mores for Hyunsoo, replied with a smile.
“I don’t like sweating much.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
Deputy Shin Jo-won nodded in understanding. Minchan had fire abilities.
Although he was immune to most heat, his skin looked tanned from being around fire so often. He also disliked unnecessary sweating.
“But this place is perfect for relaxing. The sound of insects is nice, and there’s a forest bathing area and a hot spring!”
‘It would have been better if I came here personally, but everyone seems strangely happy. What kind of wiring do they have in their heads?’
Hyunsoo glanced at the happy faces of his team members and nodded along. He didn’t want to be the clueless one ruining the atmosphere.
“Oh, right. Jaehee, I’m sorry, but there’s a prize for the MVP of the soccer game in the end room on the first floor of that building. Could you bring it over?”
At Soojung’s request, Hyunsoo nodded and got up.
This was the fate of the youngest with the lowest seniority. He had to get used to the absurdities of being told what to do.
Otherwise, he would end up a fugitive with a wanted notice.
As Hyunsoo entered the building Soojung mentioned, he thought,
‘I should relax in the hot spring later…’
To soothe the nerves tensed from the unlikely variety show filming, he needed to properly rest during this vacation. Living as Park Hyunsoo always felt like being chased by someone.
If he lived even a little loosely, he felt that the friends who had died in the orphanage, along with the older siblings, the director, and the teachers, would blame him for being the only one left alive.
So he lived more fiercely than anyone, as if obsessed with work, to make up for those who had left before him.
He used his precious days off to earn extra pay and donated it to a newly built orphanage on the site of the old one that had fallen apart.
‘I wonder what the MVP prize will be…’
It was at this moment, when Hyunsoo turned the doorknob to enter, that he was met with a surprise.
“Wow!”
Fireworks exploded and confetti rained down.
Hyunsoo stared blankly at the bits of paper falling above his head and then at the candles on the cake.
[HAPPY BIRTHDAY]
It was a birthday cake.
‘Oh, come to think of it…’
Hyunsoo thought as Yoon placed a party hat on his head. October 29th. It was the birthday of both Lee Jaehee and… Park Hyunsoo.
“Happy Birthday! Jaehee!”
“Look at that surprised expression. Did you really forget?”
“Yes. With the variety show filming draining me and being preoccupied with the group vacation…”
As Hyunsoo answered, Soojung babbled on.
“I’m really sorry. I’ll never bring up variety show appearances again. Even if the center director forces me, I’ll find a way to stop it next time!”
“I’ll trust you, part leader.”
Hyunsoo replied with a smile.
“So, can I blow out the candles now?”
“No, no! You can’t!”
The people who tried to stop Hyunsoo from blowing out the candles exchanged signals and then sang the birthday song.
Although his real name wasn’t mentioned, Hyunsoo smiled brightly. He had not expected to receive birthday wishes at all.
When he was Park Hyunsoo, being an orphan meant he didn’t pay much attention to the birthday set by the director, and when he took over Lee Jaehee’s body, he only found it intriguing that the birthdays matched.
Of course, the D Team members made a fuss every year, but with so many events this year, he hadn’t had time to think about his birthday.
Sudden death, inexplicable possession, entry into the basic training center, assignment to the D Team, a life as an unexpected youngest member, and variety show filming. It had truly been a whirlwind of events.
“Alright! You can blow out the candles now.”
On the cake in front of him was a character in a sky-blue guide uniform.
The character didn’t resemble anyone at first glance. Hyunsoo closed his eyes and made a wish as he blew out the candles.
‘Happy birthday, Jaehee.’
As the candles went out, the lights in the party room turned on. Colorful balloons and banners came into view.
When did they prepare all this…?
And they were all gathered at the soccer field just a moment ago?
“Haha.”
Hyunsoo laughed as he saw Yoon laughing with cake cream on his face.
‘No wonder he was sticking to me like a leech.’
While Yoon was closely monitoring him, the others must have been setting up this surprise. It was touching to realize that someone had taken the time to plan and prepare this celebration for his birthday.
“Thank you, everyone. I didn’t expect you to gather and take vacation just to do this. I know you must have wanted to rest during your time off.”
“We’re fine. We get to stay in a nice place and eat delicious food with the center director’s money!”
‘Really, they are people formed by positive energy.’
Even as Hyunsoo thought this inwardly, he smiled and shared the cake. Honestly, it was quite a lot of fun.
* * *
The party room was filled with congratulations for ‘Lee Jaehee’ and continued with a drinking session.
The team members who couldn’t drink had beverages and chatted or went to bed early.
Remaining were the birthday person Hyunsoo, the three main parts, and Part Leader Kim Soojung and Deputy Shin Jowon.
“I really… I feel like I’m going to live to 90 because I’ve gotten so much scolding from the center director.”
Deputy Shin Jowon, listening to Soojung’s drunken ramblings, nodded absentmindedly while munching on snacks.
“Giving only two days off and acting like it’s a big deal! Just because you’re the center director doesn’t mean everything revolves around you!”
“Oh dear, you’re really drunk. Let’s get you to bed.”
Deputy Shin Jowon stopped Soojung’s outbursts and helped his out.
“Oh dear. I’ll take the part leader back and go to rest myself. Everyone else, drink moderately and head back.”
As Soojung was supported out of the party room, she continued to badmouth the center.
The only ones left in the somewhat disordered party room were Minchan, Jiwon, Yoon, and Hyunsoo.
“I’m getting sleepy too.”
Hyunsoo murmured as he blinked slowly.
“If you’re sleepy, I’ll take you to your room.”
“I’ll take him!”
Yoon raised his hand eagerly and, bouncing, pulled Hyunsoo into a hug.
“Ugh, don’t shake me. My stomach is turning…”
In front of Hyunsoo was a low-alcohol fruit-flavored sparkling drink.
Despite the three people’s frantic objections about the peach on the can, Hyunsoo stubbornly drank it.
“Even though you can’t drink well.”
Jiwon pouted as he used telekinesis to move the can away from Hyunsoo. Minchan clicked his tongue as he watched Yoon clinging to Hyunsoo like a cicada.
“Kim Yoon. Stop clinging. You’re making him sick.”
“…Okay.”
Hyunsoo nodded in agreement.
As he furrowed his brow and exhaled heavily, his lips were moist. The three, distracted by his moist lips, exchanged glances and swallowed nervously.
Just as a silent battle for Hyunsoo’s attention seemed about to begin,
“Ugh.”
Hyunsoo threw up.
“Jaehee!”
A startled Yoon quickly picked up Hyunsoo and rushed him to the bathroom. Minchan and Jiwon, left alone in the party room, sighed and began tidying up, their eyes lighting up as they exchanged looks. It was a rare vacation.
They intended to give him a healing experience during the remaining time off.
* * *
* * *
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